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Things We Love: Around the World in 80 Puzzle Games for Kids

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It’s not enough of a story to warrant a lengthy review, but it’s also a book too good to ignore. Around the World in 80 Puzzles is a book full of puzzle activities for kids. The games in it are designed to teach children about the world and call on their visual, language and mathematics skills. From the pastas of Italy to the Sphinx in Egypt, the book, by Pooja Lulla, spans continents with activities for kids aged 10 and older, including ‘spot the difference’ or ‘find the hidden item’ exercises, basic math problems, mazes, and fill-in-the-blank word games.

Each of the puzzle games for kids is accompanied by a description of the city or country of its setting. The Mexican puzzle, for example, introduces children to the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo with information about the festival’s origins and how it is celebrated. The Jordanian puzzle explains why the ancient ruins of Petra are known as the Pink City. The Egyptian puzzle lists the 10 countries through which the Nile River flows. Perhaps a little basic, but way more interesting than a textbook. Even better, we found ourselves refreshing or learning a few new facts, which makes it a fun book for parents and kids to explore together. (Petra is pink because of iron oxide in the sandstone. Who knew?)

But ultimately, it’s Archana Sreenivasan’s illustrations that brings this children’s puzzle book to life. From the colourful outfits of Puerto Rican dancers and an aerial view of St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Italy, to a fiery Vietnamese dragon and the portraits carved into the cliffs of mighty Mount Rushmore in the US, her painstaking and vibrant illustrations transport kids to places they may never see. Around the World in 80 Puzzles is a wonderful way for kids to learn about world cultures without feeling like they’re doing any studying. Check it out here.